Human Remains: Diet

The reconstruction of past dietary patterns holds a central place in bioarchaeology given the importance of food consumption for daily subsistence and survival but also for forging social bonds. Several analytical methods have been developed for this purpose: macroscopic, microscopic, chemical and biomolecular. This entry focuses on some of the key osteoarchaeological methods employed in the study of past diet, that is, dental diseases associated with excessive consumption or lack of macro- and micronutrients, as well as dental macro- and microwear, which offer information regarding food processing practices. In addition, very brief reference is made to pathological conditions linked to dietary deficiencies. The potential and limitations of each method are discussed, and representative case studies from a global context are presented to showcase both the use of the methods presented in this entry as well as their complementarity with other approaches.